


more than daffodils

by aryelee



Series: fragile little things [3]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Flowers, Friendship, Gen, Gift Giving, Platonic Relationships, adriens got a whole lot of love to give yall :')
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-15
Updated: 2019-02-15
Packaged: 2019-10-28 20:36:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,439
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17794319
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aryelee/pseuds/aryelee
Summary: Adrien loves the people in his life so much it hurts. He wants them to know how much he loves them, but he's never been good at words.But actions speak louder than words, and nothing makes a statement as much as flowers.(companion fic to chapter 23 in translations of the hearts but can be read as stand alone)





	more than daffodils

**Author's Note:**

> i wasnt sure what the title should be, but i found some great quotes, and the title comes from one of them! here's the quote and one more i considered:
> 
> “I will be the gladdest thing under the sun! I will touch a hundred flowers and not pick one.” ― Edna St. Vincent Millay  
> “I have laughed more than daffodils and cried more than June.” - Sanober Khan
> 
> also! if you're reading this without reading translations of the heart, here's the context: 
> 
> chloe works in a flower shop bc its where she feels safest and she sends flowers to adrien as a thank you for all he's done for her. he takes that idea and runs with it.

Truth be told, Adrien’s a little scared of the box. It sits, innocent, on his computer desk, where Nathalie placed it to make sure he sees it. For once, the box is unopened. That is enough to make him approach warily, because Natalie always checks packages that are delivered to him. He’s not sure what to do, so he does nothing at all.

“I don’t see why it’s a big deal,” Plagg grumbles, floating near Adrien’s head. “Just open it.”

Adrien scowls and swats at the kwami. He leans forward on his bed, trying to see the box from a different angle as though that will reveal its secrets. With his homework done and no photo shoots scheduled that day, Adrien finally has free time. Unfortunately, everyone he knows is busy, so he’s stuck in his room, staring at a box, while a tiny god of misfortune floats near his head complaining.

“What if it’s a tiny goblin sent by Hawkmoth to kill me,” he says, squinting even harder,

Plagg snorts. “Kid, if Hawkmoth had to rely on goblins, he’d have given up and turned himself in by now.”

“Wait.” Adrien turns to Plagg with a grin on his face. “Are you saying that goblins are real?!”

“I ain’t saying a thing.” Plagg crosses his arm and floats behind Adrien.

Adrien’s grin turns a little manic, but he manages to hold back his delighted giggles. Ladybug is going to love hearing about this. He briefly wonders if he could get Ladybug to open the box for him, then decides revealing his identity should be done over something way cooler than a box.

Which brings him back to his current dilemma: _What’s in the box._

Considering his options, Adrien drums his fingers against the mattress, bouncing his leg. He could ignore the box and live with the agonizing curiosity for the rest of his life, or he could open it and haunt his father if whatever’s in the box kills him.

No point in delaying then. He always thought he’d make a great ghost.

“Finally,” Plagg says, but Adrien easily ignores him as he grabs scissors from one of the drawers and cuts through the tape on the box.

It’s a simple box, plain and white, something that doesn’t invite any suspicion. Which is why, of course, Adrien is suspicious of it. The tape is put on cleanly, all smooth and straight, easy to slide the scissors through. And when he slowly pulls open one of the flaps, he takes a deep breath and smells… Dirt?

Adrien takes another breath. That’s dirt, alright.

“Did someone send me dirt,” he says, “Is this hate mail.”

Plagg cackles, thoroughly amused by the thought of someone being so fed up with Adrien, they send him a pile of dirt. “I sure hope it is!” he crows, “Maybe we can send some to your boss.”

“He’s my dad, not my boss.”

“Sure is hard to tell the difference.”

Adrien rolls his eyes and waves Plagg away. But still. Maybe they _should_ send his father dirt.

 _That’s an idea for another day,_ he scolds himself, _Focus on the box._

Without any further hesitation, Adrien flings open the other flaps and peers into the box to see that the smell of dirt is coming from--

He squints.

“Are these plants?”

Adrien reaches down to brush his fingers over the small, round leaves, a happy green with just the tips a dark red. It’s surprisingly soft, and he runs his fingers across all the leaves on it. He starts to reach towards the other two plants when a folded envelope catches his attention. Lying between the plants, it’s almost hidden behind the leaves and flowers, but the little white hare in the corner, leaping across the paper, is shown off, clear as day.

Plagg floats closer to hover over his shoulder as he carefully pries open the envelope, keeping it from tearing. Adrien can feel his hands start to shake, but whether it’s excitement or anxiety is lost to him.

He pulls out the paper and unfolds it, watches the three little notes held within it come fluttering down to the desk.

    _Because you deserve flowers._

_Thank you._

_Chloe._

It’s a short message, simple and doesn’t say much at all, but Adrien’s had years to figure out how to read between the lines when it comes to Chloe and the thought and feeling behind each word makes him tear up. He traces each letter with his finger, the folds it back up carefully and sets it to the side, so he can properly cry about it later.

“I don’t even know how to take care of a plant,” he says, voice shaking.

Plagg bumps his head against Adrien’s cheek. “It’s fine,” he reassures, “You haven’t killed me yet, I’m sure you can handle a few plants.” He goes down and opens one of the smaller notes, looks it over quickly, and brings it up to Adrien’s face. “See? You have instructions too. You’re fine.”

They are instructions. Just holding them makes the tightness in his chest loosen up. Written in clean, precise handwriting is the one thing that’s going to keep him from messing this up. He has some guidance to keep this one thing for himself, and not fuck up like every other time in his life. Thank god.

  * _Burro’s Tail:_ _Keep in medium to high light. Only water till damp when soil is dry, and keep soil dry during winter. Fertilize once in the summer with a balanced 10-10-10 fertilizer. Don’t mess with the leaves, they fall off easily._
  * _Jade Plant: Let soil dry completely between waterings. Trim and prune the plant so it stays symmetrical and balanced. You can replant a cutting to grow more._
  * _African Violet: Use lukewarm water and only water when soil is less moist. Only water at the base, don’t get any water on the leaves. Keep three feet away from the window and turn pot once a day to ensure that each side grows towards the light._



“Plagg,” Adrien says, setting the notes down, “How am I supposed to know what a 10-10-10 fertilizer is?”

“Sounds like something for witchcraft,” Plagg replies, “Ask your flower shop friend, she’s as close to an evil witch as you can get.”

“Plagg! She’s not evil! She gave me plants!”

“You have to admit, she’s a little evil.”

“Well, she’s working on it.”

This is apparently good enough for Plagg, since he floats away, bored with the conversation, and heads to his cheese stache.

Adrien sets to work then, carefully pulling each plant out of the box and setting it on his desk. There’s a label on each pot, stating the name of the plant it holds. The plant with the soft, round leaves is the Jade Plant. The Burro’s Tail has strange leaves, all bunched up that hang over the edge like poofy tails. The African Violets are a light purple cluster of flowers on top of wide leaves. It’s smaller than the other two, but more vibrant.

He pokes a petal and smiles. His heart hurts a little, but in a good way where he’s feeling so much it all clusters up into a knot in his chest. It’s a little hard to breathe through, but he’s had time to adjust; it’s the same feeling he gets everytime Nino laughs at his jokes, or Alya nudges him as she tells her tales, or Marinette meets his eyes and dares him to back out of a challenge. This ache, this heaviness, it’s something Adrien cherishes. It comes from the people he loves, after all.

There are so many times all the love he feels for them threatens to overwhelm him, and he wants to tell them just how much he cares for them, but Adrien’s never been good at getting his thoughts into words. He cups his hands around the pot of the Jade plant, and thinks that maybe he should take a page out of Chloe’s book. Don’t bother with words, just show everything he feels.

Before that, though, Adrien puts in a request for a new side table to Nathalie, and checks each plant to see if they need to be watered.

 

(When he walks into his room the next day, there’s a small white side table, up by the windows. The three plants Chloe gifted him are on it, and just this small difference makes his room feel more welcoming. If this is what three plants can do, then it’s no wonder Chloe spends more time at the flower shop than her own home.

 

And maybe Adrien loses a few hours, just sitting, looking at those plants and wondering if he really deserves them, but that’s no one’s business but his own.)

 

 

* * *

 

 

When he tells Chloe his plans, she rolls her eyes and calls him a copycat, but she’s smiling so he knows she doesn’t really mean it. She sends him with the shop’s owner, Takahogi, to look through all the plants and find the best one. And when he emerges an hour later, carefully cradling a peace lily with a green bow wrapped around the pot, it’s with a smile that could rival the sun’s brightness.

Nino doesn’t notice him when he arrives at the park. He sits on a bench, thumbs tapping on his phone and a look of intense concentration on his face. If his hands were free, Adrien would shove his perpetually cold hands against the back of Nino’s neck and scare him half to death. It’s become one of the ways he says hello to Nino now, much to Nino’s displeasure. Today’s a special day, though, so Adrien tries to hold back his urge to cause chaos and instead creeps up behind Nino to yell, “I bring gifts!”

Nino jumps and whirls around, but Adrien’s already coming around the bench to sit besides him.

“Dude,” Nino says, “One day, you will make me have a heart attack. What’s with the flower?”

Adrien beams and holds it out to him. “It’s for you! Because you’re my best friend and I’m so glad I met you. I love you dude, you’re genuinely one of the best people in my life.”

There’s a pause, a long, drawn out moment of stillness where Nino processes what he’s just heard. With anyone else, the silence would make Adrien nervous. He’d wonder if he’s gone too far or did something wrong. But he knows Nino always needs a minute or two to process everything, especially when it’s a gesture like this.

The moment passes. And then Nino tears up.

“Oh god, I didn’t mean to make you cry,” Adrien says, eyes wide.

Nino manages a weak laugh, bringing up a hand to wipe away his tears. “Shut up,” he says with a bright grin, “These are happy tears. You make me so happy, dude, you really didn’t need to do this for me.”

“If anyone deserves flowers, it’s you.”

“You’re just gonna make me cry more!”

Nino takes the flower, holds it up to his face. His eyes go soft, gentle, and Adrien’s heart aches. He’d give Nino flowers everyday if he wanted it. Nino deserved all the flowers in the world, and so much joy he’d drown in it.

“God,” Nino says, setting the flower down to the ground besides his feet. “I can’t believe you. Come here,” and he reaches out and easily pulls Adrien into a hug.

Even after a year, he’s still not used to it. Nino’s touchy; even from the first day they met, he’d put a hand on Adrien’s shoulder, nudge him with his elbow, always close and always with a hand extended towards him. And Adrien sinks into the contact, desperate after years of being touch starved. But he still tenses up first. It still takes him a moment to relax when he’s so used to being alone.

The sigh tumbles out of him before he can stop it, and Nino just holds him tighter. Adrien reaches his arms up and wraps them around Nino’s waist, grip tight enough to bruise, but Nino doesn’t mention it.

“I’m glad I met you too,” he whispers. “You’re my best friend. I’ll always love you.”

And when they pull apart, several minutes later, Nino pressed a kiss against Adrien’s temple and says, “Thanks for the flowers.”

 

 

* * *

 

 

When he complains about not being able to get Nathalie or the Gorilla flowers because they don’t have time to care for plants, Chloe rolls her eyes and shoves him into the back, telling him to stop being so grumpy and scaring off customers. Then she yells for Takahogi to help Adrien with origami, and Adrien is hit with a wave of gratitude so strong it knocks him off his feet and into Chloe.

“I owe you my life,” he says, and she pushes him off with a smile.

“Go make your flowers, you sentimental nerd.”

So he does. Takahogi patiently walks him through how to fold the origami, taking time with each step to make each fold tight and crisp. Even in his old age, his hands are much steadier than Adrien’s. In the end, though, Adrien is able to make a few origami blossoms that almost look as good as Takahogi’s.

He thanks both Takahogi and Chloe, the carefully carries the flowers in his hands as he makes his way to the limo. Gorilla waits until he hears the seatbelt click, then begins to drive. Adrien bounces his leg, bites his lip, as he runs a finger over the folds of the flowers.

Gorilla isn’t one for words. He does his job, and he does care for Adrien. It’s made clear in how he always comes the moment Adrien calls, sometimes even before that. Or how on bad days, days with back to back photo shoots that take him out of school, there’ll be cookies or candy in the back where Adrien can eat them without being monitored for calories.

But Adrien doesn’t give anything back. He thanks Gorilla for each ride, but it’s more politeness than anything, after so many years of the same routine.

This time, though, this time is different.

When the car comes to a stop in front of the manor, and Gorilla opens the door for Adrien, he doesn’t toss and quick ‘thanks’ and wave over his shoulder. No, Adrien steps out of the car and shyly offers one of the flowers up to Gorilla.

Though he doesn’t say anything, it’s clear to see that he’s confused, even as he reaches down and takes the flower from Adrien.

Suddenly feeling like he’s five again, Adrien ducks his head to hide the flush in his cheeks.

“It’s a thank you gift,” he says, “For always looking out for me. You don’t need to care about me but you do. So. Thank you.”

There’s a moment of silence where Adrien wants to sink into the ground, then a large hand gently comes down onto his shoulder.

“Thank you,” Gorilla says, with a smile that makes him looks years younger. “It’s very well made.”

Adrien can’t bite back his smile, but neither can Gorilla.

 

(And when Gorilla drives Adrien to school the next day, it’s with a blue origami blossom pinned to his lapel; Adrien doesn’t stop smiling all through class.)

 

And Nathalie, he has to wait. He sneaks peeks at her schedule to see when she would be working in the manor when he’s around. The opportunity doesn’t come until two days later, after a photoshoot that takes six hours to complete.

She quietly clears his schedule for the next day to let him rest, and Adrien, despite his exhaustion, runs to grab the origami flower and give it to her to show his gratitude. It’s quite a long distance to run, with her office closer to the other side of the house.

Nathalie watches him with concern when Adrien goes barrelling into her office, then holds onto the wall to keep his balance as he catches his breath.

“Is everything alright?” she asks, and Adrien nods so hard he goes dizzy for a few seconds.

“Fine,” he gasps out, “Just need a minute.”

“Alright.” She goes back to typing on her computer, as busy as ever.

Once Adrien’s breathing settles and he feels like he can speak without losing his breath, he steels himself then goes to Nathalie. She stops typing when he reaches her desk and waits for him to speak as he nervously shuffles in place.

“So,” Adrien starts, “You do a lot for me and I never really thank you, so I made you a gift. I would have gotten you the real thing but you don’t really have time to be taking care of a plant, so,” he holds out the origami flower, “I figured this would be better.”

Immediately, Nathalie softens, smiles, and reaches out to carefully take the flower from his hand.

“It’s lovely,” she says, holding it in her palm, “Thank you, Adrien, I love it.”

He beams and thanks her again for clearing out the next day, then leaves her office with a bounce in his step. When he looks back, just before he leaves the room, Nathalie’s still gazing down at the flower with a smile.

It’s different from how he normally sees her, but it’s not such a bad change.

 

(When Nathalie reminds him the next day to prepare for his Chinese lesson, the orange origami blossom is pinned against her suit jacket. It’s a nice color on her, Adrien thinks, it makes her look happier.)

 

 

* * *

 

 

Alya is someone he can never ambush. Adrien’s convinced that she has some sixth sense that lets her know when something is going to happen around her; how else would she be the first one to check her phone the exact second an akuma alert is sent out?

So he can’t ambush her. Instead, Adrien has her meet him out in front of her house. He assured her that it wasn’t anything big or special, just something he had to give her outside of school. Alya, ever curious, wasn’t satisfied and bugged him for a hint until school ended.

He can’t ambush Alya, but that doesn’t mean he can’t surprise her.

When Adrien texts Alya to let her know he’s outside, he holds the flower pot under one arm as he tries to get his phone back into his pocket. It’s an awkward few seconds, with him just sliding his phone down his thigh until he manages to shove it into the pocket. Then he carefully adjusts his hold on the pot and waits for the door to open.

Just a few seconds later, Alya is bursting through the door, eyes gleaming.

“Adrien!” she yells, “What’s the surprise!” Then stops short and stares at the flowers. “Dude, please don’t confess to me right now.”

The horror in her voice makes Adrien laugh hard enough to put an ache in his cheeks. “No!” he gasps, “I’m not confessing! I just wanted to give you a gift because you’re a great friend and I wanted to show how much I appreciate you being in my life.”

“Aww, that’s so sweet! You’re such a sweetheart, how have you survived in this cruel world for so long?”

“Black magic, of course.”

“Well, I’m glad you’re my friend too, even if I didn’t trust you at first because I had to stick with my girl.” She takes the pot and holds it with one arm, then hugs Adrien with the other. “You are seriously so sweet. It’s too much.”

Adrien grins. “So you like it?”

“Of course I do! How could I not?” Alya pulls back, looking offended that he could have thought that she didn’t like his gift. “What is this, anyways?”

“It’s an amaryllis! The flower shop I bought it at told me it symbolizes success, strength, and determination, and it reminded me of you.”

Alya looks at the red flower again, awe in her eyes. “You really are too much,” she says, “I’m glad you’re in my life too. And I expect you to stay in it until we’re old and gray and dueling with our canes.”

“Don’t worry, I have no plans of leaving any time soon!”

Alya grins. “Good.” And when she holds the flower up to her face, Adrien thinks that the amaryllis really does fit her. Especially when she’s smiling.

She does manage to get him to tell her what he’s planning to get Marinette, and goes back inside with a cackle when he asks her not to tell Marinette. Though he’s a little scared, the memory of holding the flower pot reverently, telling him that she’s glad they met, stays with him long after the sky goes dark.

Alya really is a great friend.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Marinette brings pastries to the park whenever he texts her that he’s there. This time is no different, expect for the fact that Adrien is giving her something as well. Just the thought of doing something nice for her has him bouncing around, excited, waiting for her to arrive.

 The moment he spots her entering the park, Adrien is running over, yelling, “Marinette!” and crashing into her for a hug. She stumbles and stutters something he can’t catch, but that doesn’t matter because she has an arm around his waist, keeping them both from tumbling over, and a box of pastries held above her head.

“Adrien! Hi! Um, you almost, uh, crushed the food.”

“Oh!” He pulls away and takes the box from her, gently uncurling her fingers from the handle. “Sorry, I was just happy to see you!”

Marinette stares at him, eyes wide and cheeks red, then ducks her head, biting down a laugh. “Alya said that you reminded her of a puppy. I think I see why now.”

“What? Why?”

She shrugs, looking away as she giggles. “No reason!” she says, “Anyways, I haven’t seen you out here for a while. Not that I’ve been keeping track or anything! It’s just. Uh. Something I noticed!”

“Yeah, I’ve been pretty busy lately. But I have more free time now, and I have something for you!”

“You have? For me? Me?”

Adrien nods, grabbing her hand to lead her through the park. “Yeah, for you! It took me a while to find the perfect one for you, but I managed it in the end!”

“Oh, Adrien, you didn’t have to get me anything! You know my parents love making things for my friends, and I do too! And you’re a really good friend to me! And everyone else, I’m not saying that you’re a worse friend to other people, just that I think you’re really great!”

He guides her down to the little picnic blanket he’s laid out beneath a tree. She’s staring at where his hand is wrapped around hers, and suddenly realizing that maybe it was a little too much, more than she was comfortable with, Adrien lets go and sets the box of pastries down. Marinette pulls on one of her pigtails with her freed hand, dragging her fingers through it and pulling through any small tangles her fingers get caught on.

For a moment, Adrien is transfixed. He’s never thought about it before, but now that’s he’s noticed, Marinette’s hair is really nice. And probably really soft. He’s never wanted to play with someone’s hair before, but there’s a first time for everything.

He wonders if Marinette would let him do her hair one day, then pushes the thought away. He’s here for a reason; flowers, hidden behind the trunk of the tree.

“Um.” Marinette, pulls the box closer to her and opens it. “Are you going to sit?”

“Yeah! But first…” he trails off, going behind the tree to pick up vase of the pink orchids, which Chloe wrapped with a white ribbon and a knowing smile. He’s not sure what she looked so smug about, but the ribbon made everything look even better, which is what he wanted for Marinette, so he just thanked Chloe and made his escape.

Carefully, he lifts it up and carries it back around to Marinette.

He sits down and places them in front of Marinette, who stares at the flower is awe and reaches out a hand to trace a petal gently.

“These are gorgeous,” she breathes; her eyes go bright, seemingly forgotten about him. Adrien always thinks she’s prettiest when she loses herself in a moment. When she forgets everyone else around her, she becomes the center of the universe, radiating light and warmth.

“They're for you,” Adrien says, just as quietly. Her gaze snaps out to meet his, visibly shocked.

“What?”

“They're for you. As a way to thank you for being my friend, for being a part of my life. I’m always grateful that you gave me a chance the first day we met because you’re one of the best, brightest, most incredible people I’ve ever known and I want to be a part of your life for as long as you’ll have me.”

Marinette’s lips slowly curl into a shy smile. She looks down at the orchids once more, then reaches into the pastry box and pulls out a small cake, all white cream with a glossy strawberry on top -- a fraisier, one of his favorites.

“Here,” she says, holding it out to him, “I made it specially for you. I know it’s not much compared to the flowers, but it’s the most I can do.”

“No, no, this is more than enough! Anything from you is more than enough, even if it’s just the time you’ll spend with me.” He takes the fraisier and goes to thank her when Marinette looks him dead in the eye with a gaze stronger than steel.

“I’d always be willing to spend time with you, Adrien, you’re a dear friend to me too. I know you haven’t gotten to go out much and make friends, but you’re so full of life that people can’t help but be attracted to you. And I’m glad you choose me out of everyone to be friends with. I’m happy that I got to know you.”

“Marinette…” he starts, but the words escape his mind. All that’s left is how light his heart feels.

She smiles at him, then leans over and presses a kiss to his cheek. “Now eat your fraisier and tell me what you think.”

And although Marinette accuses him of exaggerating when he sings praises of her baking skills, it really is the sweetest thing he’s ever eaten. And she really is the sweetest thing in his life.

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> peace lilies: calm, balance, and rebirth  
> amaryllis: success, strength, determination  
> orchids: beauty, love, strength
> 
> platonic!! affection!! heck yeah!! (happy valentines day, here's a gift for all you lovely people)


End file.
